-sam

See also: Appendix:Variations of "sam"

German

Etymology

From Old High German -sam, from samo (“the same”) and also sama (“similary”). From Proto-Germanic *samaz, from Proto-Indo-European *somHós. Cognate with English -some and Dutch -zaam.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /zaːm/ (standard)
• IPA^(key): /zam/ (regional; including western Germany)

• Audio:

  (file)

Suffix

1. Used to form adjectives from verbs, nouns, and other adjectives; expressing similarity or the possession of a quality.

   ‎Tugend (“virtue”) + ‎-sam → ‎tugendsam (“of virtue, virtuous”)

   ‎aufmerken (“to observe”) + ‎-sam → ‎aufmerksam (“observant, attentive”)

   ‎lang (“long, lengthy”) + ‎-sam → ‎langsam (“slow”)

2. Used to form adjectives from verbs; expressing the ability to undergo some action.

   ‎biegen (“to bend”) + ‎-sam → ‎biegsam (“flexible, bendable”)

Usage notes

• The suffix is now of very limited productivity at most.

Synonyms

• (ability to undergo some action): -bar; -abel

Derived terms

German terms suffixed with -sam

• einfügsam
• erholsam
• gehorsam
• gelehrsam
• lenksam
• seltsam
• tugendsam
• vergnügsam

 

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Latin

Suffix

1. accusative feminine singular of -sus

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse -samr

Suffix

-sam

1. used to form adjectives

Derived terms

Norwegian Nynorsk terms suffixed with -sam

References

• “-sam” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

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Swedish

Suffix

-sam

1. -some; creating adjectives, mostly out of nouns

Derived terms

Swedish terms suffixed with -sam

Derived terms

• arbetssam
• återhållsam
• betänksam
• blygsam
• eftertänksam
• fridsam
• fruktsam
• hälsosam
• hörsam
• inställsam

• missunnsam
• mödosam
• nogsam
• obetänksam
• ofruktsam
• ohörsam
• sällsam
• skyndsam
• sparsam
• varsam

See also

• -lig
• sam-